A lot has changed since Social Distortion's last full-length effort, 1996's White Light, White Heat, White Trash, was released to the masses. SoCal's elder statesmen conveniently missed out on the Spice Girls, sidestepped the Hanson brothers, and ducked the teen-pop explosion that dominated the late 1990s/early millennium musical kaleidoscope. Things changed dramatically within the band as well, when guitarist and founding member Dennis Danell died in 2000 of a brain hemorrhage. For a while, it seemed as though the D's days were numbered.

But while eight years on the lamb would break a lesser band, Social Distortion has always seemed to welcome the uphill climb. The band's history charts like an EKG reading, chock-full of numerous peaks and pitfalls, ups and downs. The band rose to prominence during the late 1970s punk movement, only to fall from grace after frontman Mike Ness' escalating drug problem. They crawled back up to the surface in 1988 to release a string of critically and commercially successful records, all of which showcased a band undeniably performing at full stride in rare form. Then, save from 1998's Live at the Roxy, they were gone, not to be seen or heard from again for what has felt like eons.

While stability is clearly an instinct Social D lacks and has yet to hone, the band's music has always proven worthy of the wait, even if it means nearly a decade's worth of nail-biting anticipation. Their latest release, Sex, Love and Rock'n'Roll is a remarkably effective record considering the substantial time lapse, bridging the gap between itself and its predecessor with relative ease.

Perhaps the best thing Ness and company had going for them coming into the new record was their standing as a firmly established band with a considerable legend in tow. More than a band they're an entity, mainstays who planted the seed for many of their current contemporaries. Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll shows Social D picking themselves up by their bootstraps right where they left off, soldiering on with the same blues-infused, grassroots-tinged punk sound they've long since made their trademark. Songs such as "Nickels and Dimes" and the single "Reach for the Sky" tread familiar stomping grounds, walking a fine line between the dusty country road and punk's sludge-infested alleyways.

While the band's musical direction has never called for reformation or expansion, Ness has made significant strides as a lyricist, offering insightfully mature philosophies on life, death and love, all of which help keep the record from serving as little more than a mere rehashing of Social D's earlier work. Listen to "Don't Take Me for Granted" and it's evident that the events of the past few years — particularly Danell's death — have rocked Ness' emotional core. He's tough on the outside, complete with tattoos and a sneer that could kill. But on record he's a bleeding heart, and his emotions cut right through the outer thug to reveal a man wrestling his demons and winning most of the bouts.

In the end, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is another powerful record destined to carry on Social Distortion's legacy as a truly masterful band. They're getting older, but Ness and his band mates have found a way to grow up without outgrowing themselves, to evolve without alienating their roots. The result is an album that, after 25 years together and eight years between records, stands as possibly their best to date.

Grade: A